Roll cleaner



July 2 r1946- A. F.A KALMAR ETAL l 2,403,374

Y l ROLL CLEANER Filed June 5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l- July 2, 1946. A.F. KALMA Erm.

ROLL CLEANER Filed June 5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WE L mam/70,05- .fr/f541m July 2, 1946. A; F. KALMAR ETAL ROLL CLEANER Filed June 5, 1944 4Sheets-Sheet 3 N1 Ks E Patented July 2, 1946 UNITED STATE ROLL CLEANERArthur F. Kalmar and Glenn-E. Stilwell, Riverside, Calif., assignors toFood Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of DelawareApplication .lune 5, 1944, Serial No. 538,838

(c1. ias-229) 18 Claims. 1

This invention relatesto theart of cleaning deposits from conveyor rollsand is particularly useful in the fruit coating art.

In order to brighten and aid in preserving certain fruits and vegetablesand especially citrus fruits, it has become regular commercial practiceto coat these products as a part of the process of preparing them forshipment to market. One of the most popular methods of accomplishingthis coating is that disclosed in United States Letters Patent to J. N.Sharma, No. 2,212,621, August 27, 1940. Under the conditions generallymet with, the most desirable results are obtained with this method byapplying a resinous coating material to the product.

The coating material is applied in this process by rst dissolving it ina highly volatile petroleum hydrocarbon solvent and then spraying thesolution onto the product while the latter is traveling on an endlessrotating roller conveyor. When resinous coating materials are thusapplied, a tacky deposit rapidly forms on the conveyor rollers which ondrying becomes very hard and accumulates from day to day so that it isimperative that this deposit be removed regularly.

It is an objectV of this invention to provide a method of Iand apparatusfor readily remov-y ing hard resinous deposits from the rolls of anendless conveyor.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a method andapparatus which is relatively simple in operation, which will performthe desired function in a relatively short time and which is inexpensivein operating cost as well ascost of manufacture.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages' will be made manifest inv the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a fruit coating applicator withthe housing broken away to illustrate the construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 3 is an enlarged detailed perspective view illustrating theoperation of a slip clutch of the invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view taken of 4thearea indicated by line `4--4 in Fig. l and showing the apparatus of theinvention in a given operating position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 and illustrates the apparatus of theinvention in a different operating position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view- Ataken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line of Fig. 6 andillustrating the structure of one of the over-running clutches of theinvention.

Referring specically to the drawings apreferred embodiment of the V-invention is there shown as incorporated with an endless travelingroller conveyor I0 of the type commonly used commercially for conveyingfruit through an atmosphere of spray particles of a solution of resinouscoating material. This conveyor has a frame in the form of a sheetmetal'housing having side walls I2 and |3 from whichanges I4 and I5 arebent and end walls I6 and secured tok said side walls. Fruit F may bedelivered into the housing II through an opening 20 over a deliveryboard 2| which is permanently Xed on the housing. The fruit isdischarged fromv the conveyor I0 over a delivery plate 22 mounted onthe'housing just below a discharge opening 23at the opposite end of thedevice. J ournaled in suitablebearings mounted on the housing sidewallsIZ and |3 are shafts 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34 and 35. `Mounted on theshaft 30 is a sprocket which is power driven through a chain 39 by anysuitable source of power such as a geared electric motor (not shown)This shaft has also fixed thereon sprockets 4|l-which are in trackingalignment with sprockets 4| which rotate freely on shaft 3| and withsprockets 42 which rotate freely on shaft 32. Trained about sprockets40, 4I and.n 42 are endless conveyor chains 45 upon which are carriedranendless series of rotatable conveyor rollers 46 to form upper, lower anduprightconveyor flights. Theserollers are preferably formed of` steeltubing land each roller is provided at one end thereof (see Fig. 1) witha spinner sprocket 41. When the shaft 30 is rotated the chains andseriesof rollers 46 are caused to travel about the shafts 3|), 3| and 32 sothat oranges gravitating into the machine from the delivery board 2| areconveyed upwardly on the rollers 46 and are discharged onto the deliveryplate 22.

The shaft 33 has sprockets 5D and 5| and the shaft 34 has a sprocket 52and a spool 53, while the shafts 30, 3| and 32 have spools 54, 55 and53. The sprocket 5| is connected by a chain 51, the lower flight ofwhich runs over the spool 53, to a sprocket 58 xed on the vshaft 3|.This positively drives the-shaft 33 in the same direction as the shaft3|. The spools 54, 55 and 56 and the sprockets 50 and 52 are in trackingalignment with each other and with the spinner sprockets 41. A spinnerchain 68 is trained about these spools and the sprockets 50 and 52 (asshown in Fig. 2).

Secured to the housing side walls I2 are spinner chain guides 6| and 62which hold the spinner chain 60 in meshing relation with the spinnersprockets 41. It is thus seen thatn the rollers 46 are rotated in thedirection indicated by the arrows in Fig, 2 by the spinner chain 6I]while these rollers are passing around the shaft 3|, and throughout thetime they are disposed in the upper and upright traveling flights of theconveyor and while turning about the shaft 32. This latter location maybe termed a roller cleaning station for it is here that the rollercleaning unit 65 of the invention is mounted.

Rotatably mounted between the discharge end of the conveyor I and thedelivery board 22 is a transfer roller 66 which is constantly rotated bya suitable connection with the conveyor in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 2. This protects the fruit while it is beingtransferred onto the delivery board as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patentto Howard L. Porch #2,325,- 919.

The unit 65 includes a rotary brush 61 fixed on the shaft 68. the latterjournaling in bearings 69 provided at the lower ends of arms 1U whichare iixed upon the shaft 35. The arms are preferably made in two partsbolted together (as shown in Fig. 1) so as to facilitate thedisassembling of the unit 65 for repair purposes.

One of the ends of the shaft 35 extends through the side wall I3 (seeFigs. 1, 4 and 5) where it carries a pin 15, and the hub 1B of a handcrank 11 is slideably and rotatably mounted on the extending end of theshaft 35 just inside the pin 15. The hub 16 is provided with a slot 18which is adapted to receive the pin when crank 11 is turned to bring theslot in alignment with this pin and the hub is then shifted outwardly.Connected at one end to the crank 11. and at the opposite end to a stud8D provided on the wall I3 is a contractile spring 8| which exerts astrong upward pull on the crank 11. The latter also has a handle 82 bywhich it may be manipulated and the spring 8| thus thrown into or out ofoperative relation with the shaft 35.

The shaft 68 also extends outwardly through an aperture 85 in the sidewall I3. Fixed on the extending end of the shaft is the double base 86of a twin slip clutch 81. This clutch has individual clutches 88 and 89which are duplicates of each other, the clutch 89 being illustrated inFig. 7 so that a description of this clutch will sufiice for both.Mounted in recesses '90 in the base 86 are three pinch rollers 9| whichare urged outwardly by springs 92. A clutch ring 93 is rotatably held onthe base 86 by side plates 94. These rings have arms 95 and 96respectively, the first of which extends upwardly and the second ofwhich extends horizontally. Ends of these arms are pivotally connectedby a horizontal link 91 and an upright link 98 to a bracket B fixed onthe housing side wall I3.

Fixed on the frame |I beneath the brush 61 so that the brush extendsdownwardly therein is a solvent pan 99 with a drain |08 having a plug I0| provided in the bottom thereof. Hinged from the end wall I6 is acover |02 which rests on the pan 99 and covers this.

Operation As formerly indicated, the conveyor ID is employed forcarrying fruit through a coating inaterial applicator which maypreferably be embodied with the conveyor. Thus it is customary to extendthe side walls I2 and I3 upwardly and roof over the space between theseto form a coating chamber directly over the conveyor I9. A spraymechanism is mounted in one end of this chamber over the delivery board2| and operates continuously to spray a solution of resinous coatingmaterial downwardly at an oblique angle onto the fruit F which isresting on the upper flight of the conveyor I8. The conveyor is, ofcourse, also continuously operated so that the fruit F is being rotatedand conveyed upwardly to the delivery plate 22 as shown in Fig, 2throughout the time that it is subjected to the spray.

As the harder resins form a bright protective coating on the fruit,these have ybecome widely used in this process. The use of such resins,however, introduces a problem in that a certain portion of the solutionsprayed towards the fruit goes between the fruit and forms a tackydeposit of resinous material on the conveyor rollers 46 which becomesextremely vhard when it dries. Prior to this invention it has been thepractice to clean this deposit from the rollers 46 by manually chippingit off. This is a tedious task and take-s from an hour to an hour andone-half of a mans time to do even an imperfect job.

During the normal operation of the conveyor Il in the coating of fruit,the unit is inoperative as shown in Fig. 2, this being effected byshifting the crank 11 inwardly on the shaft 35 as shown in Fig. 3 sothat the spring 8| does not act on the brush -61 to pull this intoengagement with the rollers 4B and the brush thus hangs just out ofcontact with the rollers.

When it is desired, as at the end of a days run, to clean the resinousdeposits from the rollers 46, a quantity of solvent S is placed in thepan 99 so that the downwardly disposed bristles of the brush 61constantly extend into this solvent. Handle 82 is then gripped and thecrank 11 rocked to stretch the spring 8| and bring' the slot 18 intoalignment with the pin 15. The crank 11 is then shifted outwardly on theshaft 35 so as to receive the pin 15 in the slo-t 18 after which thehandle 82 is released. The spring 8| is thus connected to the shaft 35and rotates this to swing the brush 61 to maintain this in constantcontact with the rollers of the conveyor. Each of these rollers as itpasses the brush 61, swings the brush outwardly away from the conveyorand the spring 8| then pulls the brush 61 back towards the conveyor asthe valley following this roller comes opposite the brush. This producesa rocking movement by the brush 61 about the shaft 35 between thepositions'in which the brush is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Each of the rollers 46 is rotated by the spinner chain 68 in thedirection indicated by the arrows on these rollers in Figs. 4 and 5while these rollers are in contact with the brush 61. There is thus afriction set u-p between the rollers 46 and the brush 61 which wouldrotate the latter in rolling contact with the rollers if it were not forthe clutches 88 and 89 which not only prevent such a rolling contact,but rotate the brush 61 a slightA distance in the same rotationaldirection as the rollers 46 with each movement of the brush 31 towardsthe conveyor I0. When the brush 61 moves away from the conveyor III` theclutch 89, instead of rotating the brush, merely holds the brush againstrotation, this limited action pre- Venting excessive strain being placedon the spinner chain su by the friction between tnelrouers k46 and thebrush''l. v

The brush 61 thus' has a constant scrubbing action on'the depositcarried on the rollers 46, and due to its slow intermittent rotation bythe clutches 88 and 89,v carries solvent S from the pan 98 into contactwith the vrollers 46.

As each roller 46 moves downwardly in contact with the brush 61 and thuspasses over the bristles of the brush, these bristles, as they springback to their normalradial positions, nip solvent upwardly onto thefollowing rollers 46. Thus each roller, by this flipping action and bycontact with the brush 61, becomes thoroughly wet with solvent S eachtime it passes the brush 61.

The eifectiveness of the process depends rupon the solvent S remainingon the outer surfaces of the deposits on the rollers 46 throughout thetravel of these rollers between successive contacts with the brush 61because it is necessary in accordance with this .process to subject thedeposit to the maximum amount of solvent action between brushings sothat at each brushing of each roll by the brush 61 a considerableportion of the deposit will have beensoftened to the point where it willbe removed by the bristles of the brush 61 during the scrubbing contacttherewith.

To effect this end we have found that the solvent S should preferablylie within a range of end points of 285 F. to 450 F. A higher end pointsolvent could be used, but it is necessary, after the cleaning operationis finished, that the solvent which remains on the rollers evaporatetherefrom within a reasonablyshort time so that the coating of fruit maybe resumed on the conveyor as sometimes the cleaning operation is doneduring the noon hour. We have found that a solvent S with a range of 285F. to 365 F. will dry from the rollers in twenty minutes after thecleaning operation is finished. A commercial solvent of this range atpresent being used in this process is Shell Oil Company T. S. 27.

As the process employing this solvent will clean a fairly thick depositof resinous coating kmaterial from the rollers 46 in thirty minutes,this means that the cleaning process may be employed and operationsresumed with less than one hour of shutdown. Where quicker operation isdesired, we have found it preferable to add to the solution S, oftrichlor-ethylene which reduces the time of cleaning about one-half.

The dissolved deposit thus removed by the brush 61 from the rollers 46gradually washes out of the brush bristles as these are swished back andforth in the solvent S by the swinging movement of the brush 611511 Thusthe brush loses the dissolved deposit and conveys relatively freshsolventonto the rollers 46 with each contact therewith.

We claim:

1. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; means for rotating said rollerswhere they travel with said conveyor past a cleaning station; a rotarycleaning brush; means for mounting said brush with freedom Vto movetowards and away from said conveyor; means yieldably holding said brushin contact with the rollers of said conveyor as the latter travelsthrough said station; means for keeping said brush supplied with asolvent for said deposit and means actuated by the movement of saidbrush towards and away from said conveyor to cause said brush to rotatein the same direction assaid conveyor rollers.

2. In combination; an endless traveling roller conveyor,'the rollers lofwhich may acquire ade'- -posit in use, there being kvalleys formed 'byadjacent rollers; means for rotating said rollers where they travel withsaid conveyor pasta cleaning station; a rotary cleaning brush; means formounting said brush with freedom to move towards and away from saidconveyor; means yield'- ably holding saidbrush in contact with therollers of said conveyor as the latter travels through said station andshifting said brush pressurally into each of said valleys as the lattercomes opposite said brush; means for causing said rotary brush to rotatein non-rolling relation with said conveyor rollers; and means forcontinually supplying to said brush an excess of asolvent suitable forattacking said deposit so that said solvent is transmitted to saidrollers and the deposit removed from said rollers by said brush', andWashed from said brush.

3. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; means Afor rotating said rollerswhere they travel with said conveyor past a cleaning station; a rotarycleaning brush; means for mounting said brush with freedom to movetowards and away from said conveyor; means yieldably holding said brushin contact with the rollers of saidV conveyor as the latter travelsthrough said station and causing said brush to move towards vand awayfrom said conveyor; means actuated by the movement of said brush towardsand away from said conveyor and causing said rotary brush to rotate inthe same direction as said conveyor rollers; and a pan for holding asupply of solvent for attacking said deposit so that said brush dipsinto said solvent as it rotates andas it shifts towards'and away fromsaid conveyor.

4. A combination as in claim 3 in which the rotation of said brush isaccomplishedby a pair of over-running clutches provided on said brush,one of said clutches acting when said brush moves towards said conveyorand the other of which acts when said brush moves away from 'saidconveyor.

5. A combination as in claim 3 in which said conveyor is mounted on aframe, said brush is supported on arms pivoted on said frame and inwhich said brush rotating means comprises two clutches provided on saidbrush and connected by links to said frame so that one of said clutchesoperates when said brush moves towards said conveyor and the other ofsaid clutches operates when said brush moves away from said conveyor,said clutches thus cooperating to rotate said brush in the samedirection as said conveyor rollers.

6. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a de'- posit in use; means for rotating said rollersopposite a cleaning station; a rotary brush; arms swingably supportingsaid brush; yieldably means urging said brush to swing towards saidconveyor and permitting it to move away from said conveyor and thus keepin uniform brushing contact with the deposit on said rollers while thelatter are traveling with said conveyor; and means responsive to saidmovement ofv said brush to cause the latter 'to rotate in the samedirection as said rollers.

7. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; means for rotating said rollers-opposite a cleaning station; .a rotarybrush; arms rswngably supportingsaid brush; yieldable means urging said brush to swing towards saidconveyor and permitting it to move away from said conveyor and thus keepin uniform brushing contact with the deposit on said rollers While thelatter are traveling with said conveyor; means responsive to saidmovement of said brush to cause the latter-to rotate in the samedirection as said rollers; and means for supplying a solution to saidbrush whereby said solution will be transmitted to said rollers, and thedeposit brushed from said rollers, and said deposit thereafter washedfrom said brush. j

8, In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire adeposit in use; means for rotating said rollersopposite a cleaning station; a rotary brush; arms swingably supportingsaid brush; yieldable means urging said brush to swing towards saidconveyor and permitting it to move away from said conveyor and thus keepin uniform brushing contact with the deposit on said rollers while thelatter are traveling with said conveyor; means responsive to saidmovement of said brush to cause the latter to rotate in the samedirection as said rollers; means for supplying a solution to said brushwhereby said solution will be transmitted to said rollers, and thedeposit brushed from said rollers, and said deposit thereafter washedfrom said brush; and a readily operatable means for connecting ordisconnecting said yieldable means with said brush to start said brushcleaning said rollers or to render said brush inoperative.

9. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush; means for rotatingsaid rollers opposite said brush; means operating in timed relation withsaid conveyor for causing said brush to shift towards and away from saidconveyor so as to remain in uniform brushing Contact therewith as saidrollers travel past said brush; and means for causing said brush to turnin non-rolling contact with said rollers so that the bristles thereofuniformly brush off deposit in said contact.

10. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush; means for rotatingsaid rollers opposite said brush; means operating in timed relation withsaid conveyor for causing said ,brush to shift towards and `away fromsaid conveyor so as to remain in uniform brushing contact therewith assaid rollers travel past said brush; and means actuated by said shiftingof said brush for causing said brush to turn in non-rolling contact withsaid rollers so that the bristles thereof uniformly brush off deposit insaid contact.

11. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush; means for rotatingsaid rollers opposite said brush; means operating in timed relation withsaid conveyor for causing said brush to shift towards and away from saidconveyor so as to remain in uniform y brushing contact therewith as saidrollers travel past said brush; means for causing said brush to turn innon-rolling contact with said rollers so that the bristles thereofuniformly brush off deposit in said Contact; and means for supplyingsolvent into which said brush moves certain of said bristles with eachshifting cycle aforesaid.

12. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush; means for rotat- Ciling said rollers oppositesaid brush; means operating in timed relationwith said conveyor for causing said brush to shift towards and away fromsaid conveyor so as to remain in uniform brushing contact therewith assaid rollers travel past said brush; means for causing said brush toturn in non-rolling contact with said rollers so that the bristlesthereof uniformly brush olf deposit in said contact; and means forwashing a certain different group of said bristles in solvent each timesaid brush shifts away from said conveyor.

13. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush; means for rotatingsaidrollers opposite said brush; means operating in timed relation withsaid conveyor for causing said brush to shift towards and away from saidconveyor so as to remain in uniform brushing contact therewith as saidrollers travel past said brush; means actuated by said shifting of saidbrush for causing said brush to turn in nonrolling contact with saidrollers so that the bristles thereof uniformly brush olf deposit in saidcontact; and means for containing a quantity of solvent through which acertain different group of said bristles are moved to wash deposittherefrom during each shifting cycle of said brushing aforesaid, saidbristles retaining a portion offsaid solvent and applying the lattersubsequently'to the conveyor rollers.

14. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush disposed parallelwith the rollers'of said conveyor and adjacent thereto as saidrollerstravel with said conveyor; means for rotatably supporting saidbrush While permitting the latter to move freely towards or away fromsaid conveyor; means retarding rotation of said brush in response tc itsContact with said rollers; and means for yieldably urging said brushtowards said conveyor to cause said brush to alternately shift bodilyinto one of the valleys between adjacent rollers of said conveyor andthen be shifted outwardly as the next roller of said conveyor comesdirectly opposite said brush, said yieldable means holding said brush inbrushing contact with said rollers during said inward and outwardshifting of said brush.

15. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush disposed parallelwith the rollers of said conveyor and adjacent thereto as said rollerstravel with said conveyor; means for rotatably supporting said brushwhile permitting the latter to move freely towards or away from saidconveyor; means applying pressure to said brush to yieldably urge ittowards said conveyor to cause said brush to alternately shift bodilyinto one of the valleys between adjacent rollers of said conveyor andthen yield to allow it to be shifted outwardly as the next roller ofsaid conveyor comes directly opposite brush, said yieldable meansholding said brush in brushing contact with said rollers during saidinward and outward shifting of said brush; and means responsive to saidshifting of said brush for causing said brush to turn in non-rollingcontact with said rollers so that the bristles thereof scrub off depositin said contact.

16. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a rotary brush disposed parallelwith the rollers of said conveyor and adjacent thereto H as said rollerstravel with said conveyor; means for rotatably supporting said brushwhile permitting the latter to move freely towards or away from saidconveyor; means applying pressure to said brush to yeldably urge ittowards said conveyor to cause said brush to alternately shift bodilyinto one of the valleys between adjacent rollers of said conveyor andthen yield to allow it to be shifted outwardly as the next roller ofsaid conveyor comes directly opposite said brush, said yeldable meansholding said brush in brushing contact with said rollers during saidinward and outward shifting of said brush; and means for holding a bodyof cleaning uid in the path of downwardly disposed bristles of saidbrush so that the reciprocation of said brush as aforesaid swishes saidbristles in said fluid.

17. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a brush disposed parallel with therollers of said conveyor and adjacent thereto as said rollers travelwith said conveyor; means for supporting said brush while permitting thelatter to move freely towards or away from said conveyor; and means foryieldably urging said brush towards said conveyor to cause said brush toalternately shift bodily into one of the valleys between adjacentrollers of said conveyor and 10 then yield to permit said brush to beshifted outwardly as the next roller of said .conveyor comes directlyopposite said brush, said yieldable means holding said brush in brushingcontact with said rollers during said inward and outward shifting ofsaid brush.

18. In combination: an endless traveling roller conveyor the rollers ofwhich may acquire a deposit in use; a brush disposed parallel with therollers of said conveyor and adjacent thereto as said rollers travelwith said conveyor; means for supporting said brush while permitting thelatter to move freely towards or away from said conveyor; means foryieldably urging said brush towards said conveyor to cause said brush toalternately shift bodily into one ofthe valleys between adjacent rollersof said conveyor` and then yield to permit said brush to .be shiftedoutwardly as the next roller of Said conveyor comes directly oppositesaid brush, said yeldable means holding said brush in brushing contactIwith said rollers during said inward and outward shifting of saidbrush; and means responsive to said reciprocation of said brush to washthe bristles thereof in a cleaning fluid.

ARTHUR F. KALMAR. GLENN E. STILWELL.

